SATNAV

[ByronBlack]

Are they really all that good?

I'm thinking of getting a fairly cheap model (garmin or somethig similar). Any one have any potential negatives with these things.

Possible problems i'm thinking are:

1. Are they loud enough to hear over a diesel van?
2. Are the screens big enough to actually make out the road layout?
3. Do they send you down the wrong way of a one-way street?
4. Are they all a much of a muchnes?, or do you get what you pay for?
5. Are they good for giving the correct exits of roundabouts and getting you into the correct lanes?

Any opinions gratefully received.

 

[Paul Chapman]

I was very cynical about them but now frequently borrow my daughter's Tom Tom. Fabulous - and that woman's voice 8) 8) I've fallen in love with her :lol:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[wizer]

I'm a big fan of the Tom Tom range. I have used Garmin and find it useless.

SatNav has it's little niggles, but once you are used to them then everything is fine. I would not be without mine. It guided me to and from your house Byron. Even if it was in a silly little car

 

[ByronBlack]

Thanks for the feedback chaps! Can you change the voice on these units or are they hardwired?

Tom - I must apologise for laughing when you told me what car you were driving, I didn't mean to mock you - more of a laugh at the thought of not being able to get the table-top in it.. sorry mate!

Btw, what makes the garmin useless - bad directions, poor maps etc? I'm just trying to understand what differs between these units.

 

[mailee]

I got a cheapo one from Aldi about a year ago and it is great. It is based on the Navman system and although so far can't be updated it works well. I used to get lost looking for destinations even with maps and printouts (four hours around leeds looking for a Chinese supermarket!) but now I don't have to worry. I do still take maps but never have to use them any more. Odd niggle like won't recognise some postcodes but if you have the address it is no problem. Got to admit that the Tom Tom seems to be the leader in the low price bracket. Garmin are great if you pay enough for them unfortunitely. :wink:

 

[Nick W]

The only real downside as I see it is the need to update maps. With TomTom (the only brand I have experience of) this is an ongoing cost. I suspect that in due course they will cease to update maps for older hardware, and so you will have to upgrade that too - just like any other computer I guess.

 

[Paul Chapman]

One thing not on your list, Byron, is that they alert you to speed cameras (not all - the portable ones, for example - but the fixed ones). If you like to give it an occasional bit of wellie, you might recover your cost in the lack of speeding fines :wink: :wink:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[NeilO]

i personally use a PocketPC with a program called CoPilot, never let me down yet..and being a PC you can get road alert proggies, speed cameras, and such like running together :lol:

I am lead to believe BMW uses CoPilot for their GPS car Systems(but some BMW driver can put me right)

just google ALKtechnologies.com

beleive its version 7 now....

roundabouts, yes they will get you off at the correct exit, but lane discipline is your problem....... :lol:

 

[wizer]

hahah Byron it IS a silly little car. Laugh away, I do.

I found the Garmin map style to be hard to follow and the directions awkward. It felt like it was trying to be different from TomTom but unnecessarily.

Maybe it's just what your used to.

 

[Paul Chapman]

One word of warning, Byron, if you get one is don't save your home address in your favourites. What some thieves are now doing is nicking a car, looking up "home" on the satnav (which is "hidden" in the glove box), driving round and burgling the house and then driving the stuff away in the car. Neat :wink:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[ByronBlack]

Snip: ..and being a PC

:shock: :shock:

Thats enough for me to run a mile!! (If it was a MAC it would be a different ball-game)

roundabouts, yes they will get you off at the correct exit, but lane discipline is your problem....... :lol:

Fair enough, I drive a van, so discipline goes out the window... GET OUT THE WAY OLD CODGER, WHITE VAN MAN COMING THROUGH!! woot! I jest - i'm a very good driver.

 

[NeilO]

Actually, Byron I find it MORE :shock: reliable than my desktop....granted a little limited in what it can do, but you have the basics on board, and upgrading Copilot is a doddle, comes on a sd card, pop it in and away you go....

hopefully, i will be following its directions down to Yandles on Saturday :lol: :lol: :lol:

can someone give me the latitude and longditude of the Chestnut stand?

 

[ByronBlack]

can someone give me the latitude and longditude of the Chestnut stand?

I believe that will be 10.011 Pints south, and 14.89 pints west

 

[iajon69]

I've got Tom Tom mobile on my phone and have found it invaluable - has never failed to get me to where I need to go.
The only problem that I've found is that when we were on holiday in Devon it wanted to take us down some of the narrowest lanes that I've ever seen!

You can change the voice - funniest thing ever is being given directions by Ozzy Osbourne
Have to keep the standard female voice on though to keep SWMBO happy!

Another small problem is that whenever we go anywhere now SWMBO keeps saying "why is she taking you this way, I would have gone a different way!" Unfortunately SWMBO doesn't come with volume control

Ian

 

[Harbo]

I have a Garmin Streetpilot which I have used for about 7 years.
Bit out of date - no touch screen - but still works fine.
It uses Navteq software which is considered to be the most up to date and accurate. Updated every year for about $70 for the whole of Europe.
It works through your PC (via USB) - you download the maps you want onto memory cards. You can also plot a route you WANT to take and store that as well.
It's so accurate that you must get each carriageway correct on Motorways or it does a loop at the next roundabout! It also records routes you have taken with altitudes and average speed between nodes (junctions) - glad the Police have not cottoned onto that! Useful if you are being taken in somebody else car so you can repeat the actual journey especially if it is complicated.
We call her Gertie who now speaks in English "English" - you can choose any of the European languages or American. I bought it in the States so have the USA maps as well - very useful over there as I find the US signing not to be the best.

Rod

 

[TonyW]

I have use of a TomTom One (Mums really and she is in her 80's!!) I do find it to be very good and usually very accurate. Also just got similar for my PDA with bluetooth GPS - which I think is even better.
To answer your points:
1. Are they loud enough to hear over a diesel van?
I have a diesel car and generally have no problem. It is also possible to purchase a mounting kit which incorporates an amplifier.
2. Are the screens big enough to actually make out the road layout?
For me just about. Of course you should not be looking at the screen while driving
3. Do they send you down the wrong way of a one-way street?
So far not had that problem. Suspect it likely when local councils change round layouts - you will have to wait for the manufacturer to release new maps (which will cost of course!!)
4. Are they all a much of a muchnes?, or do you get what you pay for?
Suspect that they are all pretty good by now. Some seem to have added bells and whistles and subscription services etc. I think you should choose by having a look at the user interface and size of screen etc.
5. Are they good for giving the correct exits of roundabouts and getting you into the correct lanes?
So far I have found TomTom One to be pretty good.

Worthwhile additions?:
1. Speed camera database. There are a couple of websites that have these (most require a small subscription)
2. Voices. These are not hardwired and you can get many celebrity voices. As stated Ozzy Osbourne is a bit of a hoot first time around - although I forgot and left in on Mum's - she was not too impressed

Hope this of some help
Cheers
Tony

 

[RogerS]

My SatNav is brilliant. She also makes a mean cup of coffee :wink:

Seriously if I was still doing the miles I used to then I'd get one. Be careful about keeoing your mounting kit in full view. Remove it from sight...not the SatNav..I mean the mounting kit because in London, mounting kit = satnav in glove compartment or under seat = broken window to have a look

 

[TonyW]

Remove it from sight...not the SatNav..I mean the mounting kit because in London, mounting kit = satnav in glove compartment or under seat = broken window to have a look

Colleague of mine had his stolen overnight from Bedford hotel car park. Nothing left on show. He came back to his car to find the lock had been drilled out! Police stated that the thieves are getting more sophisticated - freezing spray on windscreen shows circle where rubber mount attaches inside. So polish your windscreen before leaving the car
Cheers
Tony

 

[gidon]

Yes they do really work. I have TomTom on my PDA come phone and it works very well around here. BUT I took it to Southern Spain - Andalucia and it was rubbish! Really really bad. It's strange because you really get used to it - we didn't even take a map (silly us). We got lost a few times.
But in the the UK I've never had a problem. (Worked fine in the US as well).
I've tried a few and TomTom does have a very friendly user interface. But mine doesn't speak road names - which would be quite nice some times (ie take the A396 towards Pennyfarthing, rather than take the next left turn). Some of the more expensive TomTom's do speak the roads names. And I know the Garmin I had for a bit did too. Another thing to check is that they do full 7 field postcode search. Frustrating if it doesn't. Again a Garmin I used didn't have that facility but prolly old model.
One thing against TomTom is their support I have found to be horrible.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[SketchUp Guru]

I'm just curious. Has anyone ever had a map stolen from their car?

I have an $80 Garmin ETrex GPS that was intended for hiking and other outdoor sports. No real mapping capability but it does what I want. Mostly I use it on the sailboat and with free software I get to see where I've been. I usually don't care where I'm going anyway.